Support for tile ceiling



Sept. 25, 1962 D. A. BOWN 3,055,466

SUPPORT FOR TILE CEILING Filed Sept. 8, 1958 ATTORNEYS.

United States latent 3,955,466 SUPPRT FR TELE CEILING Donald A. Brown,Westlake, hio, assigner to Donn Products Incorporated, Westlake, Ghio, acorporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 8, 1958, Ser. No. 759,502 1 Claim. (Cl.l89--37) This invention relates to a beam member, commonly referred toas a runnen which finds particular use as a support for a tile ceiling.Such ceilings are constructed from a multiplicity of contiguous squareor rectangular cellulose tiles having kerfed edges into which flanges oninverted T-shaped runners are fitted to support the tiles. It isimportant in constructing a ceiling of this type that the individualtiles abut snugly along each edge with the adjacent tiles and lie in thesame plane therewith. If one tile projects above or below the plane ofan adjoining tile, an unsightly appearance results.

Heretofore, inverted T-shaped runner beams have been formed from a metalstrip having one flat flange that supports the tile completely and asecond flange containing a step that supports the tile only along themarginal edge thereof. As a result, the weight of the tile resting onthe second flange is not supported continuously over the entire area ofthe kerfed edge as is the opposed tile supported by the first flange.Since the runner is suspended from a furring strip and is able to pivotabout the top edge of the web, the uneven distribution of weight fromthe tiles causes the runner to tilt, which results in lowering the edgeof the tile supported by one flange and raising the edge of the abuttingtile supported by the other flange.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide an improved runnerconstruction formed from a single strip of metal characterized by theability to remain in vertical position because of equal distribution ofthe weight of the tiles upon each flange of the runner.

Another object is to provide a runner having centering protuberancesprojecting from opposed sides of the web to prevent one flange fromseating more deeply in the tile kerf than the opposed flange, therebyassuring equal weight distribution on the flange.

These and other objects will become apparent from the followingdescription when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing,wherein:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a runner constructed in accordancewith the invention showing its connection with a furring strip;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken through the runner construction ofFIGURE 1 which illustrates how the acoustical tiles having kerfed edgesare supported thereby;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of an alternative construction havingcentering protuberances formed in the web;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section through the runner of FIGURE 3 andadjoining tiles supported thereby; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of FIGURE 4.

In order to construct runners at minimum cost it is essential that theamount of metal employed be as little as possible. Consequently, informing runner constructions from strip or sheet material it isessential that the bending be done to utilize a minimum amount of metalwhile at the same time providing rigidity and uniform supporting flangesfor kerfed tile. Furthermore, the bending configuration must berelatively simple so that complicated dies and drawing technique are notnecessary.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the runner construction isdesignated generally by the numeral and consists of an inverted,generally T-shaped beam member which is secured in inverted position toa furring over the strip on itself to bring strip 12 by means of a clipor hook 14. The furring strips may be secured to the joists of the floorabove and run in one direction, while the runners ifi secured to thefurring strips run substantially at right angles thereto. The furringstrip may be made from sheet metal shaped in the form of a channel. Itwill be noted that the clip 14 snaps over the top of the furring stripand under the top flange 16 of the runner. Consequently, the runner canbe pivoted to some extent about an axis running along the toplongitudinal edge of the runner web l. Because of this fact it isessential that the kerfed tile supported by the lower flanges 2li and Z2provide uniform support for the surface which bears against them. Unevendistribution of the load will result in tilting the runner. Tiles 30 and32 have peripheral grooves or kerfs 34, 36 cut in the edge thereof andof such size as to receive the flanges 2li and 22. The edges of the tile38, lll above the kerfs 34, 36 are trimmed slightly to take care of thethickness of the web 18. The edges below the kerfs abut tightly, asindicated at 4l. Although the tile illustrated in this invention is ofthe cellulosic board type, it will be understood that it may be madefrom other materials including metal or plastic.

The runner shown in FIGURE l is made from a single strip of metal whichis bent over at one edge to form the horizontal top flange 16 and bentat the lower edge to form the flanges 20 and 22. The first flange Ztl isof a double thickness of metal which results from doubling its otheredge back past the web to form the second flange 22. The inner thicknessof the flange 20 is continuous with the web 18 and the outer thicknessextends just past the web and then turns upwardly, as indicated at 24,before extending outwardly in the plane of the inner thickness to formthe second flange. The edge of the second flange 22 is turned under, asindicated at 26, to provide a double thickness of metal along themarginal edge thereof. It will be noted that the bearing surfaces 27 and28 of flanges 2t) and 22 lie in a single plane, and are not broken bysteps. Thus, the upper surfaces of the kerfs 34 and 36 cut in the edgeof the tiles 30 and 32 are completely supported as they bear against theflanges in supporting the weight of the tiles. The marginal turn-under26 provides sufficient thickness to take up the entire width of the kerfand prevent the tile from moving up or down with respect to the flange.

Because of the uniform, continuous support provided by flanges 20 and 22there is no tendency for the runner lll to pivot about the web at itsupper longitudinal edge, which is the case where, for example, theflange 22 has its marginal edge bent upwardly rather than downwardly.

In FIGURE 3 I have shown a modification of my invention which providesprotuberances 44 projecting from opposed sides of the web 13. It will benoted that these protuberances are formed by shaping the metal so that adimple is provided therein. Protuberances are spaced on a line along thelength of the runner and project alternately in one direction and thenin the other. In runners used for standard l2 acoustical cellulosetiles, which runners are about 3%1 high, the protuberances extendoutwardly approximately 1&2. These protuberances cause the tiles whichare slid onto the flanges Ztl and 22 to become centered so that one isnot seated more deeply than the other. The action of the protuberancesf4 in centering the tile is best illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5. Theprotuberances on one` side of the web take care of the tile whichcooperates with that flange and the protuberances on the other sidecooperate with the opposed tile supported by the other flange.Consequently, by insuring accurate centering of the web between abuttingtiles, uniform weight distribution on the flanges is assured and, hence,the possibility of tilting of the runner due to uneven distribution ofweight is eliminated.

FIGURE 3 shows another modification of my invention wherein the runnercarries a ridge 42 in the upper flange 16. The ridge runs parallel withthe web and projects toward the second flange 22. The construction hasfurther been modified in the provision of a groove 25 resulting fromspacing the step 24 a short distance from the base of the web 18 beforecausing it to turn upwardly in forming the flange 22. rThe groove 25 andthe channel 43 formed between the web and the ridge 42 in the upperflange 16 are adapted to receive an L-shaped extension arm fordetachably connecting the end of one runner to the next. The extensionarm comprises no part of the present invention but is described indetail in my copending application Serial No. 759,500, filed September8, 1958, now Patent No. 2,984,946.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that by forming therunner in accordance with my invention, maximum rigidity and support areprovided utilizing the least amount of metal. Furthermore, the runner isformed from a single strip of metal and requires no finishing operationsafter leaving the dies. The runners can, therefore, be produced atrelatively low cost.

Although I have illustrated and described preferred forms of myinvention, it will be understood that Various modifications in theconstruction can be made Without departing from the true spirit andscope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

A metal runner for supporting kerf-edged tile comprising an elongatedweb strip having a pair of spaced-apart longitudinal edges, a suspensionflange strip continuous with said web strip along one longitudinal edgethereof,

a supporting flange strip continuous with said web strip along the otherlongitudinal edge thereof, a return bend in said supporting flange stripproviding a double thickness first flange normal to said web strip alongone side thereof, the outer thickness of said first flange extendingbeyond said other web strip longitudinal edge, a step curve in saidsupporting flange strip continuous with said outer thickness along saidother web strip longitudinal edge and providing a flange strip portionlying in the same plane with the inner thickness of said rst flange,said step curve providing a longitudinal groove between said flangestrip portion and said other web strip longitudinal edge, a return bendin said supporting flange strip continuous with said flange stripportion providing a double thickness second flange normal to said webstrip along a side thereof opposite to the first-named web strip sideand in the same plane with said first flange, said supporting flangestrip terminating in the outer thickness of said second flange adjacentto said return bend therein, said first and second flanges being adaptedfor insertion into kerf-edged tiles and for supporting the tiles inabutting relation thereon with said double thicknesses filling the kerfwidth, and a plurality of longitudinal spaced-apart short protuberancesformed in said web strip and projecting alternately from the oppositesides thereof for centering the web strip between the supported tiles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,984,028 MacLeod Dec. 11, 1934 2,807,993 Ericson Oct. l, 1957 2,882,558Jacobson et al. Apr. 21, 1959 2,984,946 Brown May 23, 1961

